Hi everyone, and welcome to a few new members of our email list!!
Tonight is a great chance to see the International Space Station (ISS)
pass over southern California. You'll want to step outside and
familiarize your self with where your SW horizon is. the station looks a
bit like a moving n on-blinking airplane. It will be visible about 10
degrees above the horizon (90 degrees is straight overhead) at 8:02
p.m. by 8:05 it will be neasrly overhead -- 78 degrees high moving from
SW to SE. BY 8:06 p.m. it will be dipping to 61 degrees above the ENE
horizon and it will disappear as it enters the shadow of earth.
There are a couple more, on the 28th two passes beginning at 7:10 p.m.
and again 8:49 p.m. - but they do not rise above about 30 degrees above
the horizon. One on the 29th 7:54 p.m. and another very good one on the
30that 7:02 p.m. reaching 78 degrees above the horizon SW --> NE and
another one that same night at 8:41 p.m. only reaching 11 degrees above
the horizon - those two days with two passes? That is how long it takes
the ISAS to orbit Earth -- a little over an hour and a half!
To get your own alerts -- I don't always remember to post these -- here
is the NASA Spot the Station website to sign up for your own alerts.
https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/
As always, my monthly video can be found all over the place -- YouTube
link below in my signature line. https://youtu.be/n_2rgiyJ5Pg Always on
the JPL Video Page: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/
Now on NASA's Tumblr
http://nasa.tumblr.com/post/149805004869/whats-up-for-september-2016 and
Instagram accounts - two 60 second shorts are here on Instagram - just
scroll a few pages for the tell tale star chart or title page.
https://www.instagram.com/nasa/?hl=en
Next astro events: Monrovia October 8, sunset - till 9 p.m.-ish.
October 8th is Astronomy day all over the world and also International
Observe the Moon night -- I talk about THAT in the October What's Up,
which will be published Sept 29th because month-end is all about the
Rosetta Mission end of mission. Google that for more info.
For dark sky events, our next Mojave National Preserve star party - Free
entrance to the park, free campsite, a potluck and free looks through
our telescopes November 5th.
And this weekend a few of us are going to Amboy Crater for sort of
personal observing. If you are interested in joining us and looking
through my telescope, I'll send directions, travel time (3 hours from
Monrovia, not really a campsite, we sleep in our cars) But you could see
some dark skies or bring your own equipment -- important to arrive well
before dark, as there are no lights on Route 66 to see the turnoff.
See you all under the stars, or planets or streetlights!
--
Jane Houston Jones
@jhjones @otastro
What's Up Sept? African Eclipse, Minor Meteors, Moon Neptune
https://youtu.be/n_2rgiyJ5Pg
